zzvx | Roadmaps to explore American folk, roots, blues music

door Jon Editor

In this column: websites which offer a road map to the history of American folk, roots, blues music, vernacular-shellac, Weenie Campbell, Bill Boslaugh, Harry Smith, Curt in Australia, discogs

Old Weird America

An exploration of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. Click for website.

In this blog Curt in Australia uses Harry Smith's Folkways Anthology as a roadmap to explore American folk music and traditions. He’ ll use texts, images, music and videos gathered from my personal collection and from the net to make this work-in-progress enjoyable and educational the best he can. Any suggestions, additional informations, comments and critics are welcome…

Curt uses Harry Smith’s numerical order starting from the number one performance in the Anthology, “Henry Lee” by Dick Justice and end (someday…) with “Fishing Blues” by Henry Thomas. Each time, Curt tries to collect interesting links on the artist and on the song performed. There will be other performances by the artist and different versions of the selected song that I have access to. You’re invited to download and enjoy the selections but please, as much as you can, try to support the effort of the small records companies that make this old 78 rpm records available and in print.

Weenie Campbell - Weeniepedia

Preserving Country Blues through Education, Performance and Technology. Click for website.

The site is devoted to Country Blues. Weenie Campbell began in August 1997, when Port Townsend Country Blues Work-shoppers wanted to stay in touch with the spirit of the workshop. In May 2003, in order to better foster the preservation and appreciation of Country Blues and to include other enthusiasts from around the world, a custom website and forum were created. The website was expanded in June 2004 with an internet radio station called Weenie Juke Radio, which broadcasts Country Blues (mostly) 24 hours a day. In March 2008 a wiki was installed, Weeniepedia with country blues content, lyrics and musical analysis collated from content developed on the forum.

Categories: Artist, Musicianship, Lyrics, Religious Songs, Song Families, Weeniemedia (bio, discs, video)

Vernacular-Shellac

“Roots” “folk” and “traditional” are terms you will see applied to music on VERNACULAR::SHELLAC. Click for website.

“Roots” “folk” and “traditional” are terms you will see applied to music on VERNACULAR::SHELLAC. These terms are used in their broadest sense and refer the same breadth of music that is defined as “vernacular”. For our purposes, that is inclusive of, but not exclusive to; pre-WWII blues, hillbilly, string band, jazz, jug band, country, old-time music that was created and played by musicians closely identified with their region and/or culture (generally, the Deep South and Southeastern United States).

In memory of Bill Boslaugh (†2019). He was a Pacific Northwest (Oregon) native, having lived primarily in the Willamette Valley, Cottage Grove, Portland and Eugene. Bill's interest in vernacular music stretched well over 50 years. He was a member in good standing of the Federal Cigar Jug Band since 1966.

A vernacular song; expressed or written in the native language of a place, as musical works.

Discogs

A mention of the "LP-CD marketplace" Discogs cannot be omitted. On this site you will find information, in alphabetical order, about most LPs and CDs that have ever been released and that are offered somewhere in the world through a library or music provider (click logo).

Personal note
To my surprise I found 5 CDs that I had participated in, one of which was never even offered through Spotify or another provider. The descriptions include a list of songs and the performers (per track).